Contents

Organization

The DFC is a loose national network gathered around a statement of principles and platform. Affiliate caucuses are being organized in many states, including California,
Washington/North Cali., Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Massachusetts, and Missouri. Aside from maintaining an activist network, the DFC aims to support the election of pro-freedom Democrats, provide policy advice to Democratic officeholders, and engage in public information activities such as rating legislators and publishing commentary.

Favored Policies

The Caucus platform has four sections: personal liberty, economic liberty, limited government, and social responsibility. The reforms generally follow a populist bent towards small government with an emphasis placed on protecting workers from exploitation by the wealthy.

Rejection of the Republican Party

While libertarians often claim to agree with the Republican base (conservative) on some issues and the Democratic base (liberal) on others, the members of the DFC are dedicated to advancing liberty within the Democratic party. Some reject the Republican Party because of its big-business bias and social conservative base. Others believe that the Republican party under George W. Bush has completely abandoned the free-market and small government ideals that attracted libertarians to the party, and that the libertarian faction of the Republican party cannot have any influence in that situation, while the Democratic party has lost some of its more authoritarian elements and is seeking a new vision.

Rejection of the Libertarian Party

Recognition of the fact that our electoral system can only maintain two parties encourages some activists to work within one of the two major parties. Some activists also view the LP as being more concerned with ideological purity than with changing government policy. This is illustrated in the idealogical assertions in the Statement of Principles and the rigid rules for changing the Statement. This ideological emphasis is transmitted to the party platform, which includes the Statement of Purpose and is structured around it.